Index.



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PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907.

INDEX.

R. U. RUSSELL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3. 1905.

[Nl/ENT R 316 Allan/.ry

PATENTED OCT 29. 1907. R. G. RUSSELL.

INDEX.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY a. 1905.

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%\ @mc l E Wl TNES 5155 [/V VEN R c? Q36- W my@ .f1/lam@l ROBERT C. RUSSELL, WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

INDEX.

Speciicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907.

Application filed May 3. 1905. Serial No. 258.594. l

To ,all whom it may concem:

` Be it known thatIfRoBEuT C. RUSSELL, of Wiltion and the various and arbitrary spelling of proper names, the entries of deeds, mortgages, judgments etc., in accordance withthe manner of spelling the names of the parties thereto, has often resulted in seriouaconsequences,-a Search of the index at a point where a certain name might naturally be expected to be found,

`failing to disclosean entry. The-principle of 'idem sonam .being recognized and applied by the courts to the legal effect of recorded instruments,y the danger of omission in searches is alwaysgreat and can only be met in indexes now in common use, rby looking for entries under various spellings which might occur to the mind of the Searcher.. y

An obj-ect of this invention is to reduce to a minimum, the danger of omission above referred to and to I -so construct an index as to bring into the same group,

column or place, all the various spellings of any surname, so thatthe search of a single group, column or place shall discover all the pages where entries concerning one person are to be found.

A further object is to providean index having a key applicable to all initial letters of sur-names and comprising the same number of divisionsand sub-divisions under each initial letter of sur-names,-that is to say, the provision of a key which is identical in the book or section of every initial letter:

A further object is to provide an index which shall l bring, in the same column, all names spelled differently but pronounced similarly.

A further object is to arrange the index in such manner that a maximum number of sub-divisions (under each initial letter), will be afforded and thereby reduce to a minimum, the extent of search required for acertain name.

A further object is to provide an index which will admit of the division of any initial letter or book into two or more books or parts'without separating names' pronounced alike but spelled differently, such divisions being made either by sur-name or `given name.

A further object is to provide an index wherein only five certain consonants are used for divisions and subl divisions, and in which the key letters are exposed on the margins of pages.

- With these objects in View, the invention consists in features and characteristics and combinations thereof as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figur/e 1 is a view of the improved sur-name index; .Fig. 2/ is a view illustrating a general index to which the sur-name index may refer. Fig. 3 illustrates another page of the surname index.

The key to the sur-name index consists of five certain consonants and combinations of the ,wthese five certain consonants appearing in nearly all sur-names. The five consonants are L. M. N. R. T, and the combinations of them which are employed are L, LM, LN, LR, LT,-M,'ML, MN, MR, MT,-N, NL, NM, NR, NT,- -R, RL, RM, RN, RT,-T, TL, TM, TN, TR.

, Fig. l of the drawing shows the "S book or index of the sur-name index, open at the L page.

A represents contiguous pages, having thereon, vertical columns a, a, b, b1, `c, c1, d, (ll, e, el.

- Inmaking entries in this index, the initial letter is always disregarded and the name is 'entered in accordance with the key letter or letters which appear in the name, after the initial letter. The key letter may not follow immediately after the initial letter, but the name will be indexed according to the first key letter which appears after or following the initial letter. It will be understood, the word following as used herein in this connection, does not necessarily mean the letter next to the initial letter, but rather the key letter which first appears after the initial letter. Where a name contains two or more key letters, such name will be indexed under the first two of said key letters. For example, the name Solomon (which contains three key letters), will be indexed in the LM column of the S book. v

The column a is designated to receive all sur-names containing the key letter l after the initial letter and not followed. by another key letter. This column is also designated L In this column, all names (having, in the S book the initial letter S), in which the letter l follows the initial letter and is not followed by another key letter, are entered. All sur-namesdifferently spelled but similarly pronounced are entered in this column. Thus,'the names, Schell, Shell, Shively,

.Scheibele would properly occur in this column, and it will belobserved that in each of these names and in all of the names lshown as entered in this column, the key letter l follows the initial letter and is not followed by.another key letter. ,The narrow column a', is desgnated to receive the page number'of a general index, in which may be found the record of the names appearing in column a.

Column b islabeled LM., and is designated to contain all sur-names containing the key letter l following the initial letter and followed by the key letter m ceive all sur-names containing the key letter "1 ollowing the initial letter and followed by the key letter r. The column dl is designated to receive the page numbers of the general index relative to the names appearing in column d.

Column e is labeled LT and is designated to con-k tain all surnames containing the key letter l follow,-` ing the initialiletter and followed by the key letter t The column e1 is designated tocontain the page number of the generalindex relative to the names appearing in column e.

It will be understood that in all the columns, a, b, c,

'd and e, all .names similarly pronounced but differently spelled will be entered together or in groups.

The pages above described are designated on the lmargin by the exposed key letter L, as shown at f, ijFig. 1. The next two contiguous pages of the index 'bOok, are designated on the margin, by the key letter ,"M, as shown at g, Fig. 1. The columns on these pages have the same designations as the columns on the pages above described in detail, except that these columns are designatedrespectively to receive surnames containing the key letter m; the key letters ML, the key letters MN, the key letters MR and the key letters MT. The next two contiguous pages are designated by the marginal exposed key letter N, as shown at .11, and the columns on these pages are designated as before explained, except the order in which the key letters appear-the first column being designated to contain all sur-names in which the key letter N follows. the initial letter and is not followed by anotherlkey letter; the next column is designated for the key letters NL, the next for the key letters NM, the next for the key letters NR and the next for the key letters NT. The columns of the next two contiguous pages are similarly-designated for the key letters R, RL, RM, RN, and RT, and these pages are provided with the exposed marginal'key letter R. The next two contiguous pages are designated by the exposed marginal letter T, and the columns of these pages are designated after the same manner as before explained, for the key letters T, TL, TM, TN, TR.

While we ,have described each subdivision of the key as occupying two contiguous pages, it 'will' of course be understood that as many vpages may be employedl as-may be thught'necessary to contain all the names of the various groups which might* be entered into the index within a period or a predetermined number of years. l A

We have discovered after long experience and investigation, that the Vast majority of surnames can be indexed with the sub-divisions of the key hereinbefore described, said key comprising only the tive consonants named and combinations of them asspeciied. There are however, comparatively few names, which Column c1, is designated to receive the page could Vnot properly be indexed under any of these subv of the drawings, and are divided by vertical columns,

1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6 for names and l, 2, 3, 4, 51, 6, designated to receive the numbers of pages in the general index where the names in the columns 1-6 are recorded. The column l is labeled L and is designated to contain names in which the -key letter l appears in the first word of the name after the initial l letter. The columns 2, 3, 4, and 5,are similarly desig- 'nated to contain names with th'e -key letters 1n, n, r, t,

and the column 6 is labeled Miscellaneous and is designated .to contain names not containing any of thev key letters.

As before stated, the page numbers in the sur-name index hereinbefore described, refers to a general index where the' record is found. This general index is shown in Fig. 2 oi the drawings, although a different form of general index' might be usedA with the sur-name index herein described. Figt 2 of the drawing represents page 10 of the general index which we prefer to use,

and' this page is designated as page 10. The page,

shown in Fig. 2 is divided into vertical columns 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. The column 7 oi the general index is designated to contain the names of grantors Vto the name you are searching. The column 8 is designated to contain the name for which-you are searching, and the column 9 isv designated to contain the names of grantees from the name you are searching. The central column then, contains the name forA which we are searching,-the column 7 contains the name of the grantor to such person and the column 9 contains the name of the grantee from the name oi the person in the central column. It is to the names in the central column 8 to which the sur-name index refers. The columns 10 and 11 are designated to contain reference to books where the deeds or other instruments are recorded, and are labeled Where recorded. The column 10 is labeled Vol. and the column 11 is labeled Page. The columns l2, 13 and 14 are designated to contain the date of the deed and are so labeled. The column 12 is labeled Month,the column 13, Day, and the column-14, Year. The

,column 15 is designated to contain the Location of the property.

Having fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An index to names, comprising a series of vertical columns designated respectively to receive only such surnames as contain after the initial letter, the key letters l, m, n, r or t.

2. An index to names, comprising a series of vertical columns designated by letters consisting of the consonants l, m, n, r, t, said vertical columns designated respectively to receive only such` names in which said letters appear after the initial letters.

3. An index to names, provided with vertical columns, designated by key letters common to names under all initial letters, saidkey letters consisting of five certain consonants appearing on the respective columns, and the vertical columns designated respectively, to receive only such names which contain said consonants after the initial letters.

` 4. An inde'x to names comprising several pages having vertical columns, designated by key letters consisting of the consonants i, m,n, r, t, the respective pages having said key letters designated and exposed on the margins, and thle columns of the pages labeled with said key letters and designated respectively to receive only such names as contain said key letters after the initial letter-s.

5. An index comprising a series of vertical columns, designated by key letters consisting of the consonants i, m, n, r, t, and 'combinations of these letters, the said vertical columns designated respectively to contain only such names in which said key letters or combinations of key letters appear after the initial letters of the sur-names.

6. An index divided into a series of vertical columns, designated by key letters comprising ve divisions consisting of the letters l, m, n, r, t and sub-divisions of said key letters consisting of each ot said key letters combined with each of the others, said vertical columns designated respectively to receive only such names in which said key letters and said combinations of key letters appear after the initial letter-sof the names.-

7. An index divided into a series of pages or sets of pages, each of said pages divided by a series of vertical columns, each properly designated to receive only such names in which a certain key letter or combination of key letters appear after the initial letters of the names, said columns designated by key letters consisting of the letters ,1, m, n, r, t, and combinations of each of these letters with each oi' the others, the columns on one of said pages or sets of pages designated with the key leiter i and combinations thereof with the other key letters, and thc columns of the other pages or se'ts of pages designated respectively with the key letters m, n, r, t and combinations thereof, only one of said key letters and its combinations appearing on each page or set of pages, each of said pages having other columns properly designated to contain numerals referring to a record of transactions relative to the indexed names.

8. The combination with a general index having a coiumn properly designated to rcccivc names of persons, a column to the left of the iirst-mentioned column designated to contain the names of grantors, a column to the right of the firstnientioned column designated to contain the names of grantees, of a sur-name index to contain names referring to the central column of the general index, said sur-name index divided into a series of vertical columns, designated by key letters consisting only of the letters l, m, n, r, t, and subdivisions thereof, the columns ot' the sur-name index designated to receive respectively, names containing one or a combination of said key letters when they appear after the initial letters of the naines.

In testimony whereof, 1 have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT C. RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

R. L., FnnGUsoN, S. W. Fos'rnn. 

